Austin — Early this afternoon, state Senator Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville) joined with 18 other senators to approve SB 362 in the full Senate. Full passage is expected on Wednesday.

"Because the integrity of the vote is foundational to democracy, I agreed with many other senators that we need to address this issue this session," said Nichols.

Preliminary passage in the full Senate follows an all-night session by senators last week to pass it out of the Committee of the Whole.

SB 362 asks voters to present photo identification or two forms of alternate identification to confirm their identity. Recent polls, including one released this week by the University of Texas, confirm a significant majority of Texans support such a requirement.

"Every act of voter fraud disenfranchises a legitimate voter," said Nichols. "By requiring citizens to present identification, we can significantly reduce that fraud."

Under SB 362, a voter without a valid form of photo identification may use two forms of non-photo identification such as a library card, utility bill or bank statement to prove their identity.

"The bill offers many ways for a citizen to prove their identity so that every voter entitled to cast a ballot will get the chance," said Nichols.

The bill is authored by Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay), and Nichols is one of the coauthors.

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